Machine for forming bundles of signatures



Nov. 24, 1953 l. KRAMER 2,659,907

MACHINE FOR F'ORMING BUNLES OF' SIGNATURES l M A* jjfaryzeysf NOV. 24, 1953 L. l. KRAMER 2,659,907

MACHINE FOR F'ORMING BUNDLES OF SIGNATURES Filed Aug. 20, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 N NAR Nov. 24, 1953 l, KRAMER 2,659,907

MACHINE FOR FORMING BUNDLES OF' SIGNATURES Filed Aug. 20, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 I g I I n Q2 5w I IT"- Q3 I I o@ QQ; 5i N I l l FEE] I u J4 2777/: 7l fo 7".'

Nov. 24, 1953 L. l. KRAMER* MACHINE FOR FORMING BUNDLES OF SIGNATURES Filed Aug. 20, .1952

5 Sheets-Sheet 4 FISE:

Nov. 24, 1953 l. KRAMER MACHINE FOR FORMING BUNDLES OF SIGNATURES 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 20, 1952 mrd n arlzeyj Patented Nov. 24, 1953 MACHINE Fon FORMING BUNDLES or* :hf V

SIGNATURES` Lawrence I. Kramer, Park Forest, IILQasSignor to R. It. Donnelley & Sons Company Application August 20, 1952, Serial No. 305,361,

11 Claims.

` This invention relates to printing pressand` binding work, and more particularly to a no vel machine for assembling printed signatures, as they leave the printing and folding machine, into special signature bundles to facilitate transporting the signatures from the folding machine to assembly operations which may be in a remote position from the folder.

VThe usual practice in making up a catalog, ,of the type used by mail-order houses andthe like.

lis to print certain pages on a printing pressand process them through a folder, which may be integral with the printing press or a separate machine, and automatically fold the sheets into page size units which are known as signatures. The signatures are delivered one at a time at a fast rate from the folding unitand are then picked up by hand, jogged into alignment and then placed on platforms, pallets, or in trucks for removal to storage or to subsequent processing operations. As the signatures delivered by one folder represent but a small portion of the final assembly, it is necessary to bring other packs (or groups) of signatures from other folders to the assembly operations. As there are physical limitations to the size of the package a worker can conveniently handle, a great deal of labor is involved in getting the signatures from the folders to subseqeunt processing operations.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a machine which will receive the signatures from the folding machine and secure` them in alignment on wires, so as to form a signature bundle. Such bundles may weigh around 300 pounds and be handled by special conveyors.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine which will receive the signatures having marginal slits and will force the slitted portion of the signatures onto a pair of flexible wires, so that the signatures will be frictionally held in the bundle. This may be done by a reciprocating pusher-plate driven by the piston of an air cylinder.

A further object of the invention is to provi-de -a signature receiving pocket which is opened and closed by the pusher-plate, and has special guides for directing the flexible signature into proper alignment on the wires.

The invention is illustrated in a preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a. longitudinal sectional view of a machine embodying the invention, taken as indicated at line II of Fig. 3;

Fig. 2 a View similar to Fig. l, but showing a ram in extended pocket-closing position;

Fig. 3 a plan view of the machine;

Fig. 4 a fragmentary view of the lower portion of one of the signaturesshowing the slits which receive the wires; i i fr nature engaged by the wires;

Fig. 6 a vertical sectional view, taken as indicated at line 6 6 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 an enlarged fragmentary sectional view, taken as indicated at line 'I-1 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 8 a View similar-to Fig. "7, showing the pusher-plate moving rearwardly; l

Fig. 9 a fragmentary Vvertical sectional view,`

taken as indicated at line 9 9 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 10 a fragmentary vertical sectional View, taken as indicated at line I0--IIJ of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 11 a perspective view of one of the signatures that may be assembled `by the machine into a bundle.`

In the embodiment illustrated, a frame `I2 is surmounted by a table-like top I3 which provides a plane surface on which the bundle is formed. A pair of openings I4 are lprovidedin the .table above a pair of brackets I5. The brackets are provided with wire tensioning pulleys I6 to retard the advance of stranded, flexible wire I1 from spools I8 journaled on a leg of the frame I2. The wires pass up through holes I9 provided in the brackets I5 through the tensioning wheels I6 and table opening I4 to a position above the table I3 where they are bent rearwardly and have their ends attached, as indicated at 20, to an abutment plate 2|. It will be understood that as the abutment plate is forced rearwardly, stepby-step, the wire Il will feed out through the table.

A pusher-plate 22 is caused toreciprocate forwardly and rearwardly by a ram 23 having a piston in a double acting air cylinder 24 powered by air lines 25.

The table I3 has a number of raised, parallelM tracks 26 and the pusher-plate 22 has slots to receive them so that the plate extends down to the table top beween the tracks, and eliminates the danger of a signature getting caught underneath the pusher-plate. The signatures 2'I are usually quite flexible and the movement of forcing their slits 28 onto the wires I'I must not get them out of proper aligned position. Preferably the upper portion of the plate is convex rearwardly as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and vent holes 29 are shown provided in the lower face to permit the escape of air from the rear. of the plate during the rearward movement of the plate. plate 30 may be provided on the of the plate 22.

In order to prevent the upper ends of the signatures from tilting forwardly when the pusherplate moves forwardly to receive another signa-` ture, a pair of latch devices 3| are loosely. mounted on pins 32 at the top of the frame so thatfwhen thev cam face 3S on the pusher member releases them, they will drop by gravity into the position shown in` Fig. 1. ThusV when the pusher-plate.

Fig. 5 a view similar to Fig.` 4, showing the sig-V A metallower portion 

